Why Faith Still Belongs in the Public Square

Oh, how the tables have turned! For this episode of Nuance, I stepped out of the host’s chair and into the guest seat. My friend Katie Shook, an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Orlando and Gotham Fellow, took over the mic to interview me on the heartbeat of this podcast: the integration of faith and the public square.

We pushed past the typical culture war shouting matches to look at the theological plumbing of our civic engagement. It was a refreshing and occasionally convicting exercise to be on the receiving end of the questions.

Here is a sample of what we covered in the episode:

• The McDonald’s Fit: I share a story from my childhood regarding a literal backseat tantrum I threw after my parents drove past a homeless man. It was my first realization that if our faith does not get outside the church walls to make a real world impact, it loses its point.

• The Myth of the Neutral Square: We discuss why the idea of a neutral public square is a fantasy. The goal is not to create a theocracy. Instead, we aim to be a value add, bringing a prophetic voice for the vulnerable and a commitment to the common good to places like the Rotary Club or city hall.

• Faithful Presence vs. Power Grabs: I reflect on my obnoxious college years as a card carrying member of the Christian Coalition. I have moved toward a posture of Faithful Presence, which means staying true to deep convictions without lobbing metaphorical bombs from the sidelines.

• Going Upstream: Politics is almost always downstream from culture. I explain why I shifted from a Political Science track to ministry because if we want to change the rudder of the country, we have to invest in the character and Christ likeness of the people running the institutions.

• The Great Motivation: What actually moves us? We dive into the intersection of the Great Commission, the Great Commandment, and the Great Requirement from Micah 6:8. It is a call to seek the flourishing of our neighbors in a pluralistic democracy, even when we are the minority.

If you have felt weary of the binary choice between dominating or withdrawing from the world, I think you will find this conversation helpful. We are all learning how to be faithful exiles together.